The Stuff of Nightmares
by KarToon12
Summary: Owen is excited to have landed one of the coolest jobs at Jurassic World...but if he thinks that training raptors will be a cake walk, one horrific dream proves he's got another thing coming...


**Note before diving into this: this was written back when "Jurassic World" came out. I found this old file on my computer and decided to finally post it, now that "Fallen Kingdom" has released. This takes place some time before the events of the first JW film.**

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Owen didn't want to brag, but he had to admit he had, no contest, the coolest job in the world.

How many people could say they got to hang out with and train DINOSAURS for a living?

He sat in the pen like he did every day; keeping a close eye on his four "children"...a pack of baby velociraptors who were running around like crazy and rolling in the dirt. Every so often, one would come up and lick his arm or give him a sniff, to which he would pat them on the head, and then they'd go right back to rough housing. It was like watching a bunch of scaly puppies play with each other, and he loved every minute of it.

It seemed like only yesterday when he came into the laboratory and watched his little charges hatch. The way they opened their eyes for the first time and stared up at him...they obviously couldn't speak, but their expressions seemed to ask, "are you my daddy?" And in a way, he was. Save for Dr. Wu, all the other scientists had vacated the room to make sure the raptors imprinted on no one else but Owen. Apparently, certain breeds of dinos had given the staff trouble in the past, so this was a fairly new technique they were trying, to ensure their creations would listen to at least ONE person. Everyone warned Owen there would be no solid guarantees of their cooperation, but the trainer was more than up for the challenge. No matter what happened, one thing was certain-this would be WAY more exciting than any assignment the Navy gave him.

The first order of business was naming the squad. Oh sure, the staff already gave them "names"...but really? "B, C, D, and E?" How boring was that? They told him not to treat them like pets. He told THEM to not treat them like stats on a pie chart. Thankfully, everyone found a middle ground-give them names, but keep the letters...Blue, Charlie, Delta, and Echo.

Within two months, the squad went from being the size of his fist, to about as big as a human toddler...and they pretty much acted like one, which made "becoming the alpha" more funny than anything else. He came to the pen pretty much every day-staying with them from morning 'till dusk; occasionally rough housing with them, but for the most part, just feeding them and watching them play. And little by little, their quirks started showing.

Not counting Owen, Blue was definitely the leader. Whatever she wanted to do, the other three would try and copy her. Charlie was the show off who always started a fight, but very rarely won them-the one who's bark was worse than her bite. Delta was the biggest eater; that much was certain. And Echo was the most vocal-always calling out when she lost track of her siblings. She definitely earned her namesake.

The trainer thought back to when he first got interviewed for the job...how some of the staff was acting so hesitant around the raptor eggs, as if even THEY thought creating these creatures was a bad idea. They told him raptors were the greatest hunters in the world...that they could be incredibly smart and vicious...that they wouldn't be so "cute" anymore once they got bigger and grew teeth...

Owen wasn't an idiot-he fully understood that.

None the less, as he was sitting in the grass, Delta decided to come up and nuzzle into his side; laying on her back right next to her "dad". He took the cue and started rubbing her belly, which made her calm down and go limp, much like the technique used on alligators. Such a cute sight made the trainer chuckle aloud. How could anyone say such mean things about her and the squad? They would never hurt him, right? He was like their dad; they imprinted on him; they listened to him (mostly). He could totally handle this...right?

As he crawled into bed later that night, he tried to will away any lingering doubt. It wouldn't be very helpful to lose his confidence when he was making such major headway with the squad. Eventually, he rolled over and drifted off; thinking about his four baby dinosaurs sleeping in their enclosure...

...he was on top of this...he could take whatever they could dish out...

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 _"...something went wrong. I'm gonna' get the power back on."_

 _"You can't just stroll down the road."_

 _Owen looked at Ellie with a hint of dread. In just the short amount of time he knew her, she proved to be a very smart and brave woman. He really didn't want to see her go and potentially get eaten by the very creatures he was supposed to keep under control...he did NOT want any more deaths today._

 _But Hammond was too old, and Dr. Malcolm was too injured...and the fact that Mr. Arnold hadn't returned was a clear indicator it was too dangerous for anyone to go anywhere alone...they had little choice, and Ellie knew it._

 _He was going with her...and he tried to cast away any lingering doubt to simply focus on nothing but the task at hand. Everyone's survival now depended on the two of them._

 _They were going to get to that maintenance shed. Period._

 _Without a word, he walked over to the gun cabinet and unlocked it; pulling out a rifle and loading it with practiced ease. At the same time, Hammond whipped out a map of the island; draping it over Malcolm's legs as he tried to find the right schematic for the maintence shed. He insisted on going himself, but Ellie simply tossed him a radio; made some quip about "sexism in survival skills", and promised she'd be back._

 _And she WOULD be back. Owen would make sure of it._

 _After grabbing his trusty hat, the two left the safety of the emergency bunker; venturing out into the jungle beyond._

 _He stayed out in front; gun at the ready-eyes constantly scanning the foliage for anything out of the ordinary..._

 _...they didn't get very far when his gaze fell on a disturbing sight that was DEFINATELY out of the ordinary-there was a hole in the fence to the raptor paddock, as if one of the devils bit clean through...and noticeable tracks were left in the dirt, leading away from the pen and into the forest._

 _Damn...he voiced his own fears aloud, "The shut down must've turned off all the fences." He cursed that blasted computer hacker, "Even Nedry knew better than to mess with a raptor paddock."_

 _He glanced around again for their own safety, before getting up. They couldn't go back now; not with so much at stake and freakin' raptors on the loose, as if the T-Rex wasn't bad enough, "Come on , this way."_

 _The air seemed to get even hotter as they carefully made their way down the beaten path. Part of it could've just been the tropical heat, but he knew better...it was the sweat of primal fear that he always had to push down every time he faced the unforgiving wilderness...the hairs on the back of his neck that pricked up when his senses went into survival mode..._

 _...when he knew they were being watched._

 _So focused was he on his surroundings, he almost didn't hear Ellie say, "I can see the shed from here. We can make it if we run."_

 _"No...we can't..." he replied immediately._

 _"Why not?" he could hear the dread in her voice._

 _He wasn't going to waste time sugar coating things. He didn't even glance at her as he answered, rather flatly, "...because we're being hunted."_

 _"Oh God..." Ellie sounded close to crying._

 _Much as he didn't particularly care for Dr. Malcolm, he couldn't help but start to determine their odds of living. It was looking more and more slim, especially if Sattler chose now to panic. Panicking would do no good; not with those prehistoric demons watching their every move._

 _He had to make a decision. He could only pray it was the right one._

 _"In the bushes, straight ahead..." he whispered. He said the only thing he could think of to reassure his companion, "It's alright..."_

 _Ellie gasped, "Like hell it is."_

 _Well, at least she wasn't THAT naive. But there was no time to waste. He kept his eyes trained on the bushes, "Run. Towards the shed..." He steadied his rifle, "I got her..."_

 _Did he really? Could he REALLY kill this she-beast all by himself? Or was he just saying that to keep Sattler from freaking out? Perhaps it was a mix of both. But he didn't think about that-he couldn't. Not when the paleobotanist SHOULD'VE been moving!_

 _He finally chanced on staring right at her; motioning with his head, "Run! Go! Now!"_

 _He turned his attention back to his prey; listening as Ellie's hurried footsteps made a break for the shed-the sounds of her breathing and branches snapping becoming fainter as she got farther away. All the while, he hoped he could provide enough of a distraction for her to make it._

 _He was now truly on his own._

 _He tried his best to shut out any other distracting thoughts. For all he cared, he was no longer on the island, but back in Africa again. It wasn't much different...save for the fact that the predator stalking him was a six foot long, lizard-bird abomination, and not a lion or a cheetah. But he'd been around these things pretty much since they were hatched. He observed them constantly, and in turn, they studied him. Both sides knew where the other stood._

 _By the end of today, one of them would be walking away with a trophy...he only wished he would've done this sooner. Even if the park was fully functioning, the Big One was too dangerous to keep around. Not after what happened to that poor maintenance man...a death he had failed to prevent._

 _He wasn't going to let that happen again._

 _There came another rustling in the overgrowth, and he tip toed carefully through the overhanging branches..._

 _...until a distinct growl caught his hearing._

 _There. Straight ahead. He could see the raptor's head poking just above the bushes-a mean, yellow eye trained right at him. But she was a good few feet away. It'd take her more than a few seconds to leap over to his position-precious seconds that gave him the advantage. He slowly slipped his hat off and set it aside so he could get a better shot. He laid down for cover, before lining up the scope on his rifle with her skull._

 _Finally, at long last, this nightmare would be over._

 _His heart practically pounding out of his chest, he was just about to pull the trigger..._

 _...when suddenly, a second, much louder growl practically whispered in his ear._

 _His heart sank before he even turned to look...but then he did...and locked eyes with the Big One-her sharp teeth almost turned upwards in a gloating, revenge grin._

 _He should've seen it coming. This was too easy. She had set a trap._

 _But it was already too late._

 _His breath caught in his throat as he muttered the only thing that came to mind-a compliment._

 _"Clever girl."_

 _It happened so fast, he didn't even see anything. The gun flew out of his hands as an enormous weight threw him backwards and pounced on top of him. The last thing he felt was a set of jaws biting down on his neck-the pain so indescribable and unbearable, he could no longer see or breathe..._

 _...except to let loose a string of animalistic, horrified screams..._

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He bolted upwards; flailing his arms around in a blind fury-wanting anything for the agonizing attack to stop.

It was only when he noticed those three inch long teeth NOT bearing down on his neck that he quit screaming and whipped his head around. He was no longer in the jungle, but back in his caravan...in his boxers and undershirt...totally safe, and very much alive.

A dream...it was all just a dream.

He took a few minutes to try and calm himself down, as he was bathed in a pool of sweat, and panting up a storm didn't help. Only when he was sure he was all together did he whip the covers off and stagger to the bathroom-splashing cold water on his face. He stared at his reflection for a long moment; trying to make any sort of sense of what he just experienced.

It was all a dream...yet it seemed so vivid and real...to the point that it felt less like a nightmare and more like a long lost memory. But how? That was impossible. Those weren't his raptors...and that certainly wasn't his voice...and who were those other people? He recognized Hammond (who was very much dead), but who was that other guy? And that lady? He never heard or seen them before...yet, somehow, he knew their names...and knew every inch of the park...but it wasn't HIS park; not the one from now.

It was all from his point of view...yet somehow, he also had the strangest, gut feeling that it WASN'T him at the same time.

Owen raked his hands through his hair. Uuugggh! None of this made any sense!

...except the raptors. THAT part was perfectly clear. They were bigger...older...meaner...

...and they were exactly was his own squad would eventually turn into.

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He greeted his charges with the same calm and kind tones as usual...but lingering memories of that strange nightmare would pull him back to the grim reality that their "cute" days were numbered. Whether the dream was real or not, there was no denying that he NEVER underestimated the pack ever again from that point onward. He would NOT share the same fate as the one in that fantasy...if it WAS a fantasy, that is. Illogical as it sounded, he had a weird feeling there was more to it...

He watched his team more closely than ever-picking up on a few more traits he hadn't noticed before...like how Echo called out in different pitches, depending on the situation...or how Delta stood guard and watched while the other three ate...or how Blue tensed up when a new person entered the pen.

Owen turned to see a man not much older than him walking up to him; hand extended, "Mr. Grady, right?"

The trainer took the offered hand shake; a bit confused, "Yeah, who are you? No one's allowed in here without clearance."

"Good thing I got clearance then", the gentleman smiled, "Vic Hoskins. Head of park security and military liaison. So, you're the trainer, I take it?"

"Yep, that's me..." Owen tilted his head, "...so why is an army man interested in a theme park?"

"Let's just say the scientists here have an interesting operation going on, and the boys back home are VERY interested to see what you can cook up for us", Hoskins explained.

Owen raised an eyebrow, "You'd wanna' talk to Dr. Wu, then."

"Already have..." the man folded his arms, as if he were proud of himself, "...and when I asked to meet who gave the orders to the assets, he sent me to you."

"I'm flattered", the trainer forced a smile. He didn't like where this conversation was headed, and the way this guy carried himself, he already didn't like him.

He lost his train of thought when Hoskins rubbed his hands together, "So, where's the squad?"

As if to answer him, the four raptors came scurrying up; stopping just a few feet away from this strange new person in their territory. The army man's grin faltered ever so slightly, "Kinda' little..."

Owen shook his head, "Trust me...they'll get bigger."

"I hope so", Vic bent over to pet the tiny dinosaurs, "Hey there, little guys..."

The raptors didn't take too kindly to someone trying to touch them, especially when that someone wasn't their "dad". Blue and Delta tensed up, but took a few tentative sniffs at his fingers. Charlie, ever the fight starter, gave him a hiss. Echo elected to stay back, but shot him a harsh glare. As for Hoskins, he remained diplomatic, but it was clear he was miffed at getting the cold shoulder, "Aw, come on. That's no way to treat a new friend."

This guy was definitely NOT their friend, that much was certain, for Blue suddenly ducked out of the way of his hand and promptly bit him on the ankle. Not very hard, but just hard enough to draw some blood and make the army man curse, "Yeoow! Dammit!"

With one swift swing, Hoskins came down on Blue and roughly smacked her away. The raptor, having been caught off guard, went sliding backwards into the dirt. Echo immediately bounded over to check on her sibling, while Charlie and Delta both let out warning growls and threatening hisses at the guy who would dare to challenge them.

Owen had to restrain himself from punching the guy into last week. No one was allowed to treat his squad like that. He cast a dangerous eye at Vic and spoke rather firmly, "I wouldn't do that. They remember."

Hoskins was too busy bouncing on one foot and nursing his sore ankle to care what warning the trainer gave him. He practically spit, "Good. They'll remember who's in charge, then."

"I think they've made that perfectly clear..." Owen wasn't impressed by this character in the slightest, "...and they're all girls, by the way."

As if to prove his point, the squad (including a recovered Blue) all started advancing toward Hoskins, to which he put his hands up defensively, "Okay, okay; I'm sorry. Just...tell 'em to back off."

The trainer merely shook his head, before reaching down and picking up Blue; inspecting the spot where Vic had hit her. There didn't seem to be any damage; her pride had been hurt more than anything else. She settled in her "dad's" arms, which made the other three relax just slightly.

But the moment Hoskins felt it safe to step forward, Blue turned her head at him and angrily hissed, to which he retreated again. With a sigh, he cleared his throat; trying to save some face, "Well...keep up the good work. I'll be in touch."

"Yeah, see ya' later..." the trainer mumbled; not even attempting to act friendly anymore.

As the man took his leave, Owen glanced down at the raptor in his arms. Usually, it was Charlie who started a fight...so if BLUE threw the first punch, then the squad was serious-they didn't like the guy either. Funny how they could sense the same bad vibes that he did. As he gently patted Blue on the head, he could only think of one thing to say.

"Clever girl..."

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 **So back when the first "Jurassic World" movie came out, a friend and I swapped many RP's and other stories back and forth. Now that "Fallen Kingdom" has come out, I decided it was time to finally dust off these old files that've been sitting on my hard drive and post some of these drabbles.**

 **So what do you think? Just a crazy, coincidental dream? Or was a certain game warden trying to contact Owen from beyond the grave...?**


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